Page 54

Stacy

It’s somewhere past three o’clock in the morning and I’m still in the mess hall, playing a dice game with a couple of the girls, but thinking I should go to bed when I finish this game. I’m not sure if I’ll catch a wink of sleep with Grey being gone and I know my friends need sleep too, but they’re aware of what Grey is doing and are here to support me.

He probably won’t be at the hospital for another hour or two, so I should try. Maybe I’ll do that but ask Linc to please wake me as soon as he hears from him.

He allowed all the men to stay in the mess hall tonight as a show of good will, warning that breaking his show of trust and goodwill would come with a hefty price.

Commotion interrupts my thoughts as Brody’s voice rings out amid clanging and other voices outside.

“This fuckin’ place has officially made the term shithole an understatement.” Brody gets louder as he’s now in the doorway to the mess hall, talking to Linc, who’s in a chair by the door. Brody’s energy is amped, infuriated.

People are reacting, many of them looking like they want to hide. An angry alpha? This is something we’re accustomed to. He’s stormed in here like he’s ready to kill someone. Addy is behind him and she looks pale and upset.

The one end of the mess hall is dark with folks sleeping, but I’m in the dimly lit corner where a handful of folks who aren’t asleep are drinking tea or coffee, playing cards, or other games and quietly talking. We’re rolling dice on a towel to keep the noise to a minimum, but Brody seems too ticked off to be aware of his volume.

“Heard bubbling and smelled that rancid smell and sure enough, it’s backin’ up into the shower in the fuckin’ trailer. As soon as I got outside, saw people coming out three other places with the same problem. Septic field is at least two inches of sludge back there.” He looks to the group of us sitting at tables. “Nobody flush anything. And can a couple men round up everyone at their places to get everyone here now? The last thing the sick need is to be dealing with raw sewage in their bathrooms and kitchens.”

Addy grabs his wrist and his eyes dart to her as she urgently, but softly speaks. “Children are asleep, elderly, and those still healing. You’ll wake everyone and frighten them. Besides, the more people that wake up, the more that will need to do what requires flushing.”

His face changes, regret washing over his features.

Cat Savage comes over from her bed where she’d been sleeping.

“Brody?” she asks, alarmed. “What happened?”

“Sewage is backing up,” he says.

I hear the buzz of a phone. Linc pulls his phone from his pocket and puts it to his ear, walking outside. Brody follows.

I pass Addy, touching her shoulder, and head outside, too.

There’s buzz out here with Arcana Falls people springing into action. Warren carries Priscilla into the mess hall and Gus carries Rose. But the seventy-odd-year-old Rose has a smile on her face instead of looking frail like she did this morning. She winks at me.

“I can see you’re feeling better,” I say softly.

She puts her index finger to her mouth and says, “Shh.”

Gus’s mouth twitches as he fights off a smile while two Arcana Falls betas carry her mattress and bedding into the mess hall.

Brody’s voice carries even though he’s not as loud as he was a moment ago. “Everyone needs to be here in one place for the night while we wait for dawn to sort it,” Brody informs. “No running water or flushing anything. Don’t even use the plumbing in here or any of the other buildings. We’ll do what we have to do to get through the night and take more action in the morning.”

The smell hits my nose and just about knocks me over; it’s that bad.

“What’s the plan?” Cat asks Brody.

“Unfortunately, folks are gonna need to go outside to do their business for the night. Men can piss on the trees or against the fence. We’ll round up some buckets, throw toilet seats on them and put ‘em on top of some holes. Maybe prop some partitions to make up a couple outhouses for the women and kids to use, or if a male needs to take a shit. Maybe we’ll set two of them up over there. I’ll call in a pro to assess this and see if I can get some portable outhouses dropped off.”

Now there’s commotion around me. Vehicles from out front have been moved, including Jared’s trailer, which I can see being towed by a red pickup truck, heading toward the salvage yard.

I’m about to ask about this when it’s plain to see why it’s necessary. Sewage is carving a trail through the dirt; it’s oozing this way. Gross.

“Do we need to move everyone?” I ask Brody, who is walking by me now.

He shakes his head. “We’ll do what we can to get through tonight and deal in the morning. Luckily, the mess hall is up three steps. Hopefully, this won’t climb any higher. Moving the vehicles up by the office so nothing gets stuck in this mess. Maybe we’ll dig some ditches and try and direct this mess away from the mess hall. We’re putting some planks on risers to make a path for anyone that needs to use one of our makeshift outhouses being thrown up over there.” He gestures ahead to where I can see some of our men as well as some of the Arcana Falls guys working together. They’re erecting two makeshift outhouses and running planks from the side entrance of the mess hall in that direction.

“Okay. I was gonna sleep in Jared’s trailer, so I’ll just go grab my clothes and toiletries and bring them back here and ask Misty or Caroline to make room for me on their mattress.”

“Take someone with you, from the Falls and preferably an alpha. And straight back, yeah?” he says.

He’s now on the move, heading toward a few of the men coming in this direction and one is calling his name. They’ve all got shovels in hand.

“Someone opened the valve on the water tanker!” I hear called out.

This throws me. Why would someone do that? That’s got to be why we’re in such a mess, adding water to the already flooding sewage? Everyone is busy, but I see the silver of Jared’s trailer being pulled in just on the other side of the fence. I go inside to look for an escort.

“I hafta pee, Stacy,” Little Lara asks, standing beside me now, bouncing on the balls of her crossed feet. “What do I do?”

It’ll be a few minutes before there’s an outhouse ready.

“Um… just zip into the bathroom in the mess hall, but don’t flush, okay? Just leave it.”

She rushes away looking like she’s afraid she won’t make it.

“Got room on your bed for one more?” I ask Caroline and Misty who are putting away the dice game.

“Room beside me. I’m on a double,” Misty says.

“Great,” I reply.

“I’m up now,” Cat says. “You can take my airbed. I got six hours so I’m up. I’ll check on those still healing.”

“Awesome.”

I step outside and see Jase is helping erect an outhouse. Lincoln is on the move, heading back toward the homes with Brody. Everyone is busy.

Maybe I should just leave my bag and crash in my clothes. But I’d really love to brush my teeth, floss, and I’ve got some face wipes that were in the gift basket Mase’s mom sent over, which I packed.

I hear wailing coming from inside, so I look back. There’s commotion at the back of the mess hall by the restrooms.

“I forgotted! I just… I forgot. I’m sorry!” Lara is bawling.

“Don’t worry about it sweetie,” Addy placates. “Just use some sanitizer and get back to bed, okay?”

Brody rushes in, looking alarmed.

Lara hides behind Addy, looking terrified.

“What’s wrong?” Brody asks.

Addy replies. “Lara flushed the toilet by mistake and now she’s worried you’re angry with her.”

Brody squats and crooks his finger.

Lara buries her face in Addy’s long cardigan.

“Lara?” Brody inquires.

Lara turns to face him, and she’s absolutely petrified. She stares at her bare little feet and tips her head to show her throat.

“I’m very sah-sorry, suh-sir. It was a… a accident.”

“I’m not upset with you,” he says gently. “You don’t have to be afraid. I shouted before because it was messy, and it smells bad and because I don’t want it making anyone here sick or sicker. It’s going to be a pain in the ass… the neck to deal with it and we have a lot to deal with right now, but I’m not upset with you. You made a mistake. It’s automatic to flush after you use the toilet, right?”

She nods, chin trembling.

“It’s okay, Lara. Best do as Adelaide says, sanitize your hands and get back into your bed. Okay?”

“I was having trouble sleeping,” Lara says.

“I’m sure you were. It’s not easy sleeping in a strange place.”

“It’s just… I forgot my special blanket that I’ve had since I was a baby in our trailer. I need it for falling to sleep. I like to rub the fuzz on my face. But my mommy said we can’t go back and get it because we’d have to ask and we… we don’t like to ask for stuff.”

Brody pulls in a steadying breath and blows it out slowly. “Which trailer is yours and what color is your blanket?”

“The pink and blue one two doors beside Addy’s. My blankie is wool. It’s pink and yellow squares and I think it’s on the couch.”

“I’ll see if I can find it for you. Yeah?”

Lara’s eyes widen with excitement.

Brody rises, putting a hand gently on her head for a beat, eyes burning into Adelaide’s, before he turns and walks out.

I watch Addy watch him go and a big swallow works down her throat before she turns to me.

“You okay?” I check.

She nods, looking a little dazed.

Everyone is busy and I can see the parked cars and make out the top of the Airstream from the porch of the mess hall, so I decide to dash for my bag just quick. When I’m nearly there I pass the guy who drove the red pickup truck up there. He’s walking back toward the mess hall.

“Where you goin’, Stacy?” he asks, looking concerned.

“Just to get my suitcase and toiletries. My bag is right inside the door of the camper, so I’ll just be fast.”

“I’ll come with,” he says, but someone is calling him.

“Boyd! Here quick!”

He looks conflicted.

“It’s okay,” I say. “I’ll come straight back.”

“You sure?” he asks.

“Go ahead,” I tell him. “I’ll do it super-fast.”

He jogs to the group of men building the makeshift outhouses.

When I get there, Cat’s van, Jared’s camper, and the other few vehicles are all parked along the fence line and the red pickup attached to the Airstream are first in the line. But as soon as I get the door open, ready to grab my suitcase, which is directly inside the door, a hand darts out from the dark space between the camper and Cat’s van and grips my wrist.

I gasp as my eyes meet the infuriated eyes of my brother’s as he wrenches my arm painfully, yanking me inside, immediately cupping my mouth with his other hand while pointing a gun at my forehead.